America’s heroes have never been intellectuals. We celebrate the 19th-century adventurers who built the railroads, but have no idea who discovered the laws of thermodynamics that made the essential steam engines possible. The traditional American hero is played by Clint Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland, or Bruce Willis, who create compelling characters that succeed because they reject the rules and take matters into their own hands. Martin Luther was a theological Jack Bauer, certain that he knew more than all the eggheads in the Vatican combined. The wisdom of an ordinary person is revered in America. It is the deep faith on which democracy is based and the reason why Sean Hannity’s audience cheers when he ridicules the Harvard economist that comes on his show. While admirable in intent, America’s celebration of ordinary common sense has nurtured a profound anti-intellectualism that often translates into a cavalier dismissal of expertise. Never mind that the New England Journal of Medicine says we should vaccinate our kids; millions of people would rather listen to Jenny McCarthy. Rush Limbaugh is America’s expert on climate change. Ken Ham, as historian Randall Stephens and I argue in our book The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age, has tapped into these two powerful undercurrents in American culture: anti-intellectualism and religious entrepreneurialism.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:27:43 +0000
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